You may have heard the word yoawa used to mean maaso or “deer”, but yoawa is much more than just a synonym for maaso. The word yoawa relates to Yo’o Ania, one of the many Hiaki worlds. Yo’o Ania is home to all plants, animals, natural features, and everything we encounter and depend on in our lives. So, the word yoawa is a term for all creatures that dwell in this world. You can use yoawa to mean maaso, but it also refers to roadrunners, snakes, mountain lions, human beings, and all other residents of Yo’o Ania. However, not many people know the truth about yoawa, and the word is commonly used to mean maaso. This is perhaps because maaso is a very strong symbol to the Hiaki, and it represents independence, strength, agility, elegance, and gentleness.
The words Yo’o Ania and yoawa are noticeably similar to the word yo’ore, meaning “respect”. This may not be a coincidence. Yoawa respect Yo’o Ania by taking from it only what they need, and we can think of Yo’o Ania as the “world of respect” or the world we are indebted to. In this way, the meaning of yo’ore relates to both yoawa and Yo’o Ania.
